


Hug? [Yes/No]

by Bubbly_Kandy



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Ableism, Autistic Newt Scamander, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, These are. so bad i'm sorry, Theseus is 4 years older than Newt, Trans Character, Trans Newt Scamander
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 06:21:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16759657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubbly_Kandy/pseuds/Bubbly_Kandy
Summary: 5 times Theseus hugged his brother, and 1 time he was hugged by his brother.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I refer to Newt as Newt and use he/him for the narration, but none of the characters know he's trans until he tells them.

Ages:

Newt: few hours old

Theseus: 4

Theseus had always been what his mother called “overly affectionate.” “Overly affectionate” meant that he was always holding onto someone’s legs, giving his mother five goodnight kisses in comparison with her giving him two, and chirping ‘I love you!’ to everyone he held dear to his heart.

His mother had always assured him that it was wonderful that he was that way, but she seemed relieved when Theseus wouldn’t hug her during her second pregnancy so that he wouldn’t hurt the baby. He treated her like glass, barely putting his arms around her when they did hug and always asking “baby okay?” whenever she sat down.

Theseus is only four years older than Newt- when Newt was born, he was old enough to remember holding his baby brother in his arms for the first time, but he doesn’t remember almost dropping him on the floor when he was bored. Their mother never told that part of the story, either- only the part that showed them all in a good light.

This part, Theseus knows by heart- the squished up face of his baby brother is one that he will surely remember forever, mostly because he had noticed how pink his nose was. He only knows the color of the blanket that Newt was swaddled in (a sweet shade of baby blue) because Newt carried it around until he was seven, then giving it to a baby hippogriff who had injured its wing.

He remembers his mother’s face- her features were softer, then, her long reddish-blonde hair spread messily over the pillows. Theseus was afraid to touch her- she looked so beautiful in that moment that he was scared that he would cause her to crumble like dust if he dared to move closer.

However, his fear was overrun by his curiosity about what was in the bundle of blankets his mother was holding, causing him to crawl closer and closer to his mother until she showed him the sleeping baby, his nose pinker than Theseus’s own baby blanket and his cheek smoother and softer than a rose petal when he carefully ran his finger against the curve.

He doesn’t remember the words spoken around him- only a low murmur filled his memory as he first looked curiously at the baby for a moment longer, then holding his arms out and saying “Theseus hold baby?”

He can only assume his mother corrected him there on the baby’s name (he liked to believe that she said “this is Artemis, your sister,” before handing the baby to him) because he remembers saying, “Hi, baby Artemis,” rather clearly.

That’s when the memory becomes blurry. He remembers almost dropping poor Newt on the floor, Newt only being saved by their aunts’ quick wandwork before Theseus ran quickly out of the room, hiding in his room until he was called to dinner.

According to their mother, Theseus went back to the room after dinner, apologizing to both their mother and Newt for almost dropping him on the floor. He hugged his mother tightly (their mother said that she had missed Theseus’s tight hugs) and then turned to Newt, leaning down and hugging the blankets gently, kissing Newt on his pink nose.

Newt’s eyes opened slightly at that, and Theseus could see brilliantly blue eyes before Newt closed them again, his face screwing up as he began to cry.

That was when Theseus left the room again, looking for dessert.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ages: 
> 
> Newt: 3  
> Theseus: 7

“Arty!” Theseus called, scanning the library as best he could before walking out in the hallway again. “Arty, where are you?”

He looked under tables, chairs, and even their mother’s skirts, at one point; she had been furious with him, demanding why he was scanning everything in such a _thorough_ manner.“We’re playing hide n’ seek, mama,” He said, his mother brushing the flyaway hairs from her updo away from her face. “Arty’s hidin’, and I-”

“She’s in th e owl house,” his mother told him, going back to her book and shooing him away before he could complain that she had just ruined the fun of hide n’ seek.

Theseus ran all the way to the owl room, pushing open the door and being bombarded with thick air choked with feathers, the sound of over fifty owls cooing, and the not quite unpleasant stench of the owls. 

“Artemis?” He called, straining his ears and eyes as he looked around. He heard a gasp from right beside him- he turned to look quickly, being met with the sight of Newt floating about four feet in the air, his arms stretched out to either side of him. His front was facing the floor, and his hair was wild and starting to snarl. 

Newt was staring at him with wide eyes and a mouth open in surprise; Theseus made a face at him, Newt starting to giggle and float downwards.

“Owls,” he said happily, Theseus catching him as he floated down. Newt wrapped his arms around his neck, cooing like a owl. Theseus almost dropped him as he couldn’t hold onto him securely, thanks to the slippery fabric of Newt’s dress. “Happy owls,” Newt said next, cooing more as Theseus started to bring him out of the owl house. “Happy Thes?”

“You’re a bad girl,” Theseus said instead, hoisting Newt more onto his hip and making him giggle. “No giggling!” He said, Newt not listening to him as he continued to coo like a owl. “Bad girl! I said for Artemis to not go outside, but what did Artemis do?”

“Owls!” Newt said, giggling at Theseus’s scowl and making his own by pursing his lips and crinkling his nose. Theseus looked away before he smiled, Newt laughing happily and pushing himself more onto Theseus’s shoulder. “Go back, go back!”

“No, no,” Theseus said, shaking his head and trying to hold onto Newt as he started bouncing angrily, whining at Theseus to let him go. The seven year old didn’t, feeling like he was holding onto a cat as Newt squirmed.

“Go back! Go back!”

“If you say, ‘Thes, may we please go back to the owl house?’ Then I’ll bring you back,” Theseus said, Newt just whining and kicking him with his heels. “Ow! Artemis, stop!”

“Go  _ back!”  _ Newt cried, starting to cry and squirm more. Theseus set him down on the ground, Newt trying to run back to the owl house. Theseus stopped him by wrapping his arms around his waist, Newt screaming angrily at him. “Mean! Mean!”

Theseus started feeling anxious, trying to shush Newt as he looked around the courtyard, seeing one of the more elderly gardeners laughing at the scene in the distance. Newt tried to bite him, Theseus spinning him around and holding Newt’s wrists to his sides, getting down on his knees like papa did whenever he and Theseus had to have a capital-T Talk.

“Artemis,” Theseus said softly, trying to do what mama did whenever Newt got like this. Newt bared his teeth, stomping his little foot angrily and making a strangled scream. “Artemis, calm-”

“No!” 

“- calm down, please?” Theseus tried to keep his tone low, looking Newt’s eyes even though Newt was looking anywhere but him. “Come on, you old thing, please calm down?”

Newt started to not squirm as much, his eyes still leaking tears. He pointedly didn’t make eye contact, which Theseus was fine with- Newt hated eye contact, and would get even more angry if he had to look someone in the eyes.

“Mean,” Newt spat, Theseus just smiling at him and starting to rub his hand up and down one of Newt’s arms. 

“I am,” Theseus agreed, Newt whining angrily again and bouncing. “Artemis, I don’t like it when you go to the owl house when we play hide n’ seek. I like it when you stay  _ inside,  _ so I can find you and everyone knows where you are. Understand?”

“No,” Newt replied, obviously trying to get a rise out of him. Theseus just took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. He heard Newt sit in front of him, wiggling until Theseus had taken his hands off of Newt’s arms. Theseus opened his eyes to Newt rubbing his face, getting rid of the tears. 

“I’m sorry, Arts,” He said, Newt grumbling. “I’m the  _ wo-orst  _ brother, aren’t I?”   
  
“Uh-huh,” Newt mumbled, Theseus pushing down that pang as he went all the way down on the ground, Newt staring at him curiously. 

“Mighty Artemis, do you forgive a mere mortal like me?” Theseus asked, Newt’s mouth perking up into a smile. “Are you smiling?”

Newt covered his mouth, shaking his head. Theseus smiled, pushing himself off the ground again.

“I think you are, silly girl,” Theseus teased, Newt shaking his head again. The crinkled edges of Newt’s eyes betrayed him, Theseus giggling. “Yes you are!”

“No!” Newt burst, his hands falling from his mouth as he rolled backwards, giggling happily. Theseus wished that Newt would start floating again, just so he could see if Newt would like doing flips in the air. 

“Yes!” Theseus said, pulling Newt back up. He opened his arms, asking, “Hug?” 

Newt nodded, letting Theseus hug him for five seconds until he said “No more,” Theseus letting go of him. “Thes and Arty go eat?"

“Yes, let’s do that.” Theseus got up, Newt getting up with him and walking beside him, not letting Theseus take his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ages:  
> Newt: 7  
> Theseus: 11

“I don’t want you to go.” 

Theseus stopped, turning around on his heel and looking at Newt, who was nervously tugging at the ends of his scarf. 

“Just four more years, Arts, then you’ll be with me!” Theseus said mock-happily, Newt smiling crookedly before looking down again. “What House do you think I’ll be in?”

“Gryffindor,” Newt said automatically, Theseus smiling widely.

“Aww, you think that highly of your big brother?”

“Not highly- you’re, um… nevermind,” Newt stammered, pulling at his scarf even more. Theseus pouted, leaning against his luggage.

“No, I’m what? Daring? Brave? Chi-”

“You’re big-headed enough,” Newt snapped, getting a dirty look from someone who already had their robes on, the Gryffindor crest obvious on their chest. Newt almost shut down completely, hunching down smaller and starting to play with his hair. Theseus gave them a even dirtier look, the person stalking away. 

“Perhaps you’re right,” Theseus muttered. “I would much rather be a  _ Hufflepuff  _ than be in a House with  _ that  _ bugger.”

“Don’t be mean,” Newt said, smiling crookedly again. “Hufflepuff’s are loyal, and- and generous, and-”

“Seems like it’ll be the perfect fit for you, then,” Theseus said, the both of them startling at the sound of the train whistle, Theseus’s grin growing as his face grew pale. “That means we have twenty minutes to leave- hurry, go find mum and dad!”

“Me?!” Newt gasped, Theseus grabbing his luggage. “Thes- you know I-”

“Temmie, they’re right over there,” Theseus pointed out, Newt still looking anxious. “I’ll just be a second- I just need to get my things onboard, and- where’s Beatrix?”

“Beatrix?” Newt asked innocently, his hands rising to cup around his chest pocket, attempting to look casual. Theseus raised an eyebrow, holding out his hand expectedly.

“Hand her over.”

“But she likes me!” Newt said, pulling a baby hedgehog from his pocket and cooing at her. “She likes being warm- I just thought-”

“Artemis.” Theseus said, Newt pouting but handing the hedgehog over, Beatrix crawling up Theseus’s arm to sit on his shoulder. “Go get mum and dad- I’ll be right back!”

“I hate you,” Newt retorted, walking quickly towards their mother and father, the two of them following him back to the train. Theseus was back a few minutes later, luggage free and with Beatrix sleeping on his shoulder. 

Their mother and father gave Theseus many hugs, kisses, and advice for exams as Newt stood back, his face hidden by his hair. Theseus wiggled out of his mother’s arms, handing her Beatrix before heading tapping Newt on the head with his fingernail. Newt flinched away, and Theseus could see his shoulders shaking. 

“Woah, hey, what’s the matter?” Theseus asked, already knowing the answer as Newt looked up, his face stained with tears. Newt hiccuped, and Theseus wrapped his arms around him, Newt’s wrists staying pinned to his sides. 

“I- I don’t-” Newt sniffed, Theseus rubbing his back gently. 

“I’ll send so many pictures and letters to you,” Theseus promised, Newt shakily laughing. “I promise!”

“If you don’t, I’m gonna set the hippogriffs on you,” Newt threatened, Theseus hissing through his teeth as he let go, Newt relaxing minutely.

“I  _ promise  _ I will, then,” Theseus said, hugging Newt one more time before taking Beatrix back, running onto the train and pushing through people, waving out the window at his family. Newt waved back before hiding his face again, their mother letting him turn around and take comfort in her as she waved with one hand and stroked Newt’s hair with the other. 

The train began to move, and Theseus ran to sit down in a compartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> newt doesnt sound remotely like a seven year old what is this (bass boosted)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ages:   
> Newt: 12  
> Theseus: 16

Theseus was reading a book in the Hufflepuff living room. He was reading because he had to finish the twenty-seven required pages for Transfiguration class, and he was in the Hufflepuff dorms because Newt had freaked out in the middle of Dark Arts, Dumbledore giving him a break from the rest of the class. He then summoned Theseus to the Hufflepuff dorms, where he had told him to “give the poor child some company and comfort.”

Theseus wasn’t sure if Dumbledore knew if Newt’s definition of comfort was cooping himself up with his animals, or if Dumbledore was trying to get the two to talk about something that he knew about but Theseus didn’t. 

Theseus flipped the page in his book, hearing a quiet scuffle from above him, where Newt was taking recluse with Newt’s barn owl, Apollo, and Theseus’s hedgehog, Beatrix. At least he had stopped sniffling- Theseus nearly went mad trying to focus on his book and hearing a sharp sniff every two seconds.

“Why am I so  _ different,  _ Theseus?”

The question came out of nowhere- Theseus looked up from his book, seeing his little brother staring down at clenched fists. Theseus shrugged, going back to his book.

“‘Cause you’re you, and you’re different.”

“But I don’t like it!” Newt whined, tugging at the bangs of his recently-cut hair. Theseus sighed, marking his place in his book and announcing with a grunt that he was coming up to the little alcove, Newt scrambling to make space and ending up having his back pressed against Apollo’s cage. Theseus fit himself in the little space he had, his legs ending up dangling over the edge.

“Why don’t you like it?” Theseus asked, Newt retreating into his scarf like a turtle before emerging to talk.

“No one likes me.”

“Sure they do!” Theseus said, about to pat Newt on the foot before Newt moved his foot away. Theseus’s hand awkwardly went back to his lap as he said, “I like you, Dumbledore likes you,  _ Leta  _ likes you…”

“Stop,” Newt mumbled, retreating back into his scarf. “Leta thinks I’m  _ interesting. _ Dumbledore doesn’t  _ like  _ me, he only likes me as a student.” Newt fidgeted with his shirt. “And he likes all of his students; I’m not special.”

“Sure you are!” Theseus said enthusiastically, Newt looking at him blankly. “The creatures love you- they-”

“They’re  _ creatures,  _ Thes, not people,” Newt interrupted. “ _ People  _ don’t like me. All the girls think I’m creepy- all the guys say I’m sick.”

“You’re not sick, you’re as healthy as a unicorn.” Theseus tried to assure him, Newt rolling his eyes.

“Sick in the  _ head.  _ They think I belong in a asylum- they’ve told the teachers they ‘don’t feel safe’ around me.” Newt’s tone was dark, and he picked Beatrix up, petting her head and smiling softly as she grunted, his head tilting to the side. Theseus scowled, his hands curling into fists. Before he could say anything, Newt looked up at him, his eyes flinting around everywhere except Theseus’s eyes. “They say that I’m pretending to be a boy- they-”

“No!” Theseus burst, Newt startling. “Sorry- but you don’t belong in a  _ asylum.  _ Sure, you act different, and you prefer being male rather than female. But, if you ask me? Those are two things that I would find…”

“Enjoyable?”

“Interesting, in a friend.” Theseus smiled, Newt crookedly smiling back and scratching Beatrix’s head, making her grunt. “Hey- hug?” 

Newt shook his head. “Can you just- air hug?” 

Theseus nodded, wrapping his arms around empty air that was in Newt’s direction. He patted the air, Newt snorting and letting Apollo hop on his arm, the owl fluttering his feathers happily. They sat in silence for a while longer- then they were greeted with some Hufflepuff fourth years, who seemed to not notice them until Apollo screeched. 

Theseus waved down at them, Newt affectionately scolding Apollo and giggling as Apollo cooed.

“Lunch is going to be soon- you want to start heading down to the Great Hall?” Theseus asked, Newt nodding and putting both animals in their cages, speaking softly to them and lingering for a while before following Theseus out of the door.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy this so far!! Leave a comment saying what u think ;) (if u want too of course)


End file.
